Care in the community Part 3

Thursday 24th

Having spoken to a good friend who used to be in mental health services as a CPN and is now a social worker, it looks like the way forward and out of this mess is to get an advocate. Advocacy services basically can represent you and liaise on your behalf, independently of mental health services, to make sure you get the care you need (if, like me, you're experiencing difficulties). At this moment in time, I have been given two options:
1. To continue with unsatisfactory care from a team I don't trust or get on with
2. To discharge myself from mental health services.

I don't agree with either of these options.

So today, we went to find an advocate. We took a trip into Brighton and back, and additionally have called 14 'advocacy service providers' throughout Sussex. I've spoken to Rethink and Mind. I've spoken to the Advocacy Resource Service. I've spoken to really helpful people, who for various reasons can't help me, and I've spoken to lots of answer machines.
However, after about 9 hours of searching, we finally got some professional advice and are on the right track. We now await a callback from someone next week.

We are both completely fried, wired and exhausted by all this unnecessary stress. It appears to me that all of this has escalated beyond control, and is causing me to go high. This isn't good for a bipolar sufferer, as a high is always followed by a crash and a depression. Relapse the professionals call it. Relapse caused by stress, caused by a community mental health team... my very own carers!

Not much more to say. Draw your own conclusions. More to follow...